Summer Employment and Asbestos Exposure

If you worked in an environment where asbestos-containing materials were disturbed in any way, you may have been exposed to asbestos.  Exposure to asbestos in the workplace, even short-term exposure during summer employment, can lead to an asbestos related disease later in life.

Short-term exposure, such as working a summer job in industries like construction, shipbuilding, or manufacturing, insulation work, demolition, and auto repair (especially brake/clutch work) can increase the risk of developing mesothelioma.  Secondhand asbestos exposure (where a family member may have worked in a high-risk environment and brought toxic asbestos fibers home on work clothes that were laundered at the home) can also increase your risk.

Health Risks Associated with Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos exposure can lead to serious health conditions, including:

• Mesothelioma: A rare cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart.  Mesothelioma is primarily caused by asbestos exposure.
• Lung Cancer: Increased risk among individuals exposed to asbestos.

Asbestos fibers, when inhaled or ingested, can embed themselves in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart, causing inflammation and scarring that may eventually lead to cancer.

The latency period for mesothelioma can be quite long, often spanning 20-50 years, so symptoms may not appear until many years after the initial exposure. Symptoms such as persistent cough, chest pain, trouble breathing and shortness of breath, become prevalent as the disease progresses.  If you have concerns about past asbestos exposure, consult with a healthcare professional for further evaluation and guidance.

Mesothelioma Litigation for Summer Work Employees

Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford has litigated many cases for clients whose only known exposure occurred during summer employment.  It is significant that while a summer employee’s exposure to asbestos may be relatively brief, the intensity of exposure to this highly toxic substance may ultimately result in the development of mesothelioma.

Examples of summer work experience include:

• a summer worker who worked 8-10 hours a day, 5 days a week over the course of 12 weeks.
• a warehouse worker whose only exposure to asbestos occurred during summers while he was a college student.
• a 20-year-old college student in the late 1960s, who worked at a plastic mold shop and was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma at age seventy.
• a 20-year-old who worked at a plastic molding facility for one summer who was diagnosed with mesothelioma forty years later.

What to Do If You Have More Questions

If you worked in an environment where you may have been exposed to asbestos, you should talk to your doctor about your concerns.   Monitor your symptoms closely, as mesothelioma often takes decades for physical symptoms to manifest.   If you believe you were exposed, be sure to document your work history.

To learn more about your legal rights and remedies, contact our firm for a free and confidential consultation.  Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford has accumulated a great deal of information about asbestos-containing products used at job sites throughout New York State. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, we urge you to contact us regarding your legal rights.

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